Slagmaur – Hulders Ritual

Slagmaur – Hulders Ritual - Statement

Slagmaur Hulders Ritual draws heavily from old Norwegian folklore about being bergtatt — abducted by the hidden folk.
You have just witnessed an artistic experiment wrapped inside a true-crime mystery, born from an operation that has been in planning for six years.

This has also been a social experiment.
In an age where fake news is more relevant than ever, the time was right to let one of the central elements of Hulders Ritual come to life as an illusion — a piece of stage magic designed to test both perception and storytelling.
It is not just a promotional trick; it is a part of the product itself, and an essential piece of the experience of the entire release.

It has also been a study in literature and psychology — how a master stage magician constructs an illusion, and how the human mind interprets a perfectly engineered trick.

We also wanted to show that in a world dominated by artificial intelligence, human creativity still reigns supreme.
This stunt stands as proof of that, and we hope it will inspire future generations to keep alive a genre that too often becomes streamlined and domesticated.
We’re not getting any younger, and many of you — just like us — have dedicated large parts of your lives to one thing: black metal.

When Operation Master of Deceptions went live at 17:04 on Thursday, it exploded virally across the world. With millions of views and tens of thousands engaged users on our site within hours.

A massive thank-you to Fosen Fire & Rescue, the Norwegian Civil Defence, and the Red Cross, who provided resources and volunteered during parts of this production — much of it during Hurricane Amy and the extreme weather that followed.

We also extend a big thanks to everyone in the know who managed to keep the lid on this story for so long.

A special thank-you goes to our fans — and an even bigger one to the haters who couldn’t keep their mouths shut.
Every meltdown, every angry rant, every “I figured it out” post did exactly what we wanted — it fed the machine.
Your outrage carried our story further than any paid promotion ever could.
You tried to ruin the ritual, but instead you became the ritual.

Thank you for being part of the greatest black metal social experiment ever —
and the most successful musical promotion campaign of the 21st century.

- General Gribbsphiiser